Steam-engine.



No. 664,737. Patented Dec. 25, I900.

W. K. FREEMAN.

STEAM ENGINE. (Application filed oma, 1900.

2 Sheets-sheet I.

(No Model.)

No. 664,737. Patented Dec. 25, [900.

w. K. FREEMAN.

STEAM ENGINE.

iApplicatiop filed Oct. 3, 1900.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER K. FREEMAN, OF SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,737, dated December 25, 1900.

Application filed October 3,1900. Serial No. 31,896. (No model;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LVALTER K. FREEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Saratoga Springs, in the county of Saratoga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines; and Ldo hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention has for its object to provide an exceedingly light, yet rigid, steam-engine particularly designed for use in automobilevehicle construction; and the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out particularly in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of an engine embodying my present improvements, the link-controlling mechanism being omitted to show underlying parts. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the engine illustrated in Fig.1. Figs. 3 and 4 are a front and a side elevation, respectively,of the main frame or what might be termed in this engine the backbone of the engine. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken centrally through the frame or backbone to illustrate the manner of connecting the slideguides therewith. Fig. 6 is a detail plan of one of the slides and its connecting-pin for the piston and connecting rods.

Like letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

In constructing an engine of this type it is highly desirable that the cylinders, crankshaft, and other Working parts forming a direct part of the motor itself should be rigidly connected, so as to constitute an entity which will maintain within itself all of the parts in their proper relative positions regardless of the distortions which affect the body or runhing-gear of the vehicle driven by the motor, and in the present structure with a view to accomplishing this desirable end I have provided a central main frame or backbone which is in the form of an integral casting and is adapted to rigidly support both .of a pair of twin cylinders, the crank-shaft, and the slides which guide the upper ends of the connectingrods and lower ends of the piston-rods.

If reference be had to the drawings, particularly Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that I have provided a main-frame casting adapted at the upper end A for the attachment of the valve-chests or cylinders B to its opposite faces, while at the lower end said main-frame casting is bifurcated and the two arms A are spread apart and curved rearwardly at their upper ends, but brought into aliuement with the body of the frame at their lower ends, at which latter point they have formed in them one half of the bearings A in which the crankshaft is journaled. This half of the bearing underlies the crank-shaft, and thus the upper or removable half A of each bearing may be removed without allowing the crank-shaft to drop, or in assembling the parts the crankshaft may be placed in position, where it will remain until the upper half of the bearings is secured in place. The upper portion of this main frame at A is preferably provided with fiat faces on its opposite sides, and the immediate attachment with the valve-chests or cylinders is formed by bolting such valvechests or cylinders in place by means of bolts 1). For convenience the main frame may be cut away or hollowed out centrally to lighten the structure, sufficient metal being left, however, for the formation of the steam and eX- haust passages G therein, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The pipes for the steam and exhaust ports are preferably attached at front and rear of the upper portion of the main frame, for which purpose projections 0 may be provided. That portion of the main frame between the points of attachment of the cylinders and the bifurcated lower portion is utilized for supporting the slideways and the link-controlling mechanism, as well as for the attachment of the engine to its support in the vehicle-frame. The slideways E are formed on the outer faces of transversely-projecting arms E, which in order to afford sufficient room for the movement of the valve-gearing are preferably curved rearwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 5, the slideways, however, being located in alinement with the main frame or in a direct line between the cylinders and crank-shaft, as is usual in steam-engines. Between these arms sufficient room is left for the attachment of the supporting-frame for the entire engine, and in addition a bearing G may be attached for the rock-shaft g, which through arm g and secondary link g controls the link mechanism of the valve-Operating gear.

The crank-shaft H is, as before stated, journaled in the bearings a and is preferably in the form of a straight shaft, having at opposite ends crank-pins 2" for the attachment of the connecting-rods K. These cranks I are located outside of the bearings A while the eccentrics for operating the valve-gear are preferably located between said bearings, and between the eccentrics there is located the sprocket or drive wheel L, from which power is transmitted to the ground-wheels of the vehicle. This sprocket or drive wheel L, it will be noted, is located centrally of the engine and directly in line with the body of the main frame. Thus strains which are transmitted to the engine are equally distributed and there is practically little danger of distortion should such strains become excessive.

The slides M, which work on the slideways E and maintain the alinement of the pistonrods, are each formed with a pin N, and this pin N constitutes the connection between the connecting-rod K and piston-rod 0. By this construction special connections with the slides are avoided and an exceedingly light and simple structure provided, which may be conveniently and readily assembled, and at the same time the support to resist lateral movement is applied at exactly the right point for most effective results.

Any usual construction of piston and valve may be employed inasmuch as the particular construction of these parts does not constitute any part of my present invention; but it is preferred that the cylinders and valvechests should be made in integral castings and in such manner that but little, if any, machine-work is necessary in finishing up the ports and passages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a steam-engine of the type specified the combination with a main frame formed in an integral casting with steam entrance and exhaust ports therein near the upper end and having its lower end bifurcated and curved rearwardly with the extremities of the bifurcations brought into alinement with the main frame, of twin cylinders secured to said main frame on opposite sides near the upper end, a crank-shaft journaled. in the ends of the bifurcated portion and driving mechan ism intermediate the cylinders and crankshaft; substantially as described.

2. In an engine of the type specified the combination of the following instrumentalities, to wit, a main frame formed in an integral casting with its upper end having entrance and exhaust ports therein and its opposite sides having seats adapted for the attachment of cylinders to its opposite faces, its lower end bifurcated and having crankshaft bearings formed in the ends of the arms and its intermediate portion provided with transversely-extending arms supporting V slideways parallel with. the central body of the frame, cylinders rigidly secured to said main frame on opposite sides of its upper end, a crank-shaft journaled in the bearings in the bifurcated portion near the bottom of said main frame, driving mechanism intermediate the cylinders and crank-shaft and slides for holding said driving mechanism in position and working upon the slideways carried by the transversely-extending arms of the main frame; substantially as described.

3. Ina steam-engine, the combination with the cylinder, crank-shaft and slideway, of an.

the point of attachment of the cylinders being provided with transversely-extending and rearwardly-curved arms supporting slideways at their outer ends and below said transversely-extending arms formed into diverging downWardly-extending and rearwardly-curved arms provided at their extremities with bearings for the crank-shaft; substantially as described.

WALTER K. FREEMAN. Witnesses:

E. GRIFFITH, THOMAS DURANT. 

